Book2 Unit2 教案.docx

1、Book2 Unit2 教案Unit2 Text A The humanities: Out of date?I Background Information The humanitiesThe humanities are a group of academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative. Therefore, they are distinguished from the approache

2、s of natural sciences. The humanities, called social sciences, include history, anthropology, communication studies, cultural studies, law, language, literature, philosophy, religion, music and theater, etc. Through exploration of the humanities, students learn how to think creatively and critically

3、, to reason, and to ask questions. Because these skills allow students to gain new insights into everything from poetry and paintings to business models and politics, humanistic subjects have been at the heart of a liberal arts education. Today, humanistic knowledge continues to provide the ideal fo

4、undation for exploring and understanding the human experience. However, with the economic downtrend, many colleges and universities intend to cut liberal arts courses to save money, and students also try to take natural science courses to help them seek job opportunities. Whether or not studying cou

5、rses in the humanities has thus become a controversial question. Text Structure Analysis Text A argues against the current tendency that college students move away from studying the humanities to learning “hard” skills such as accounting to help them easily land a future job. The essay can be divide

6、d into three main parts. Part One (Paras.1-5) covers five paragraphs, which provides the background information of the argument. Part Two (Paras.6-9) presents the authors argument to stand up for the true value that the humanities brings to peoples lives. Part Three (Para.10) is the conclusion, whic

7、h summarizes the main idea stated in the argument: The humanities help to create well-rounded human beings with inner insight and understanding of the passions, hopes and dreams common to all humanity. New words & Phrases New Words 1. calculate vt.1) make a judgment about what is likely to happen us

8、ing the available information 估计；预测；推测Its difficult to calculate the long-term effects of these changes in the law. 这些法律上的变化带来的长期影响是难以预测的。2) find out how much sth. will cost, how long sth. will take, etc. by using numbers 计算；核算Nowadays the accountants in enterprises use computers to calculate the co

9、st of production with accuracy. 如今，企业财会人员利用电脑来计算准确的生产成本。2. boost vt. increase or improve sth. to make it more successful 促进；推动；使兴旺Some countries hope that warmer weather and more rain will boost their farm output. 一些国家希望更温暖的天气和更多的降雨能提高他们的农业产量。boost an electric current 增强电流 boost imports, share price

10、s 增加进口提高股票价格boost production 促进生产The unexpected win boosted the teams morale. 意外的胜利鼓舞了全队的士气.n. boost in sales, exports, etc 销售 出口等的增长give the economy a boost 使经济有起色give sbs confidence a boost 增强某人的信心.3. prospect n. sth. that is possible or likely to happen in the future, or the possibility itself 可能

11、的事情；很可能发生的事情；前景Career prospects in science and technology are virtually unlimited. 科技类职业的前景几乎是无可限量的。There is no prospect of a settlement of the dispute. 这场纠纷根本不可能获得解决. have little prospect of succeeding 没有什麽成功的希望4. defect vi. leave a country, political party, or organization to go to another one 背叛；

12、叛逃He defected from the party in the late 1970s. 他在20世纪70年代后期背叛了该党。 n. C a fault in sb. or sth. 缺点；欠缺；不足之处Stammering is probably an inherited defect. 口吃可能是一种遗传缺陷。5. applied a. (usu. before noun) used for describing educational subjects when they are studied for their practical uses （学科）应用的，实用的Industr

13、y leaders want scientists to engage in basic research, not applied research. 产业领导者们希望科学家们从事基础研究，而不是应用研究。As an applied scientist, he does not wish to get mixed up in the current discussion of pure mathematics. 作为一个应用科学家，他不希望与目前讨论的纯数学混淆。6. persist vi. persistence n. persistent a.1) (fml.) continue to

14、exist 继续存在；持续If the bad weather persists, the farmers will suffer great losses this year. 如果恶劣天气持续，农民今年将遭受巨大的损失。2) continue to do sth., although this is difficult, or other people oppose it 坚持；执意Students must persist in their efforts if they wish to do well. 学生如果想取得好成绩就必须坚持努力。They persisted with the

15、 agricultural reforms, despite opposition from the farmers. 他们不顾农民反对, 仍继续进行农业改革. She persisted in her search for the truth. 她坚持追寻真理。7. accelerate v. happen or make sth. happen at a faster rate （使）加快；促进Human activities can cause or accelerate permanent changes in natural systems. 人类的活动可能导致或加速自然系统的永久变

16、化。8. succession n. sing. a series of people or things of the same type 一连串，一系列（同类型的人或物）After graduation he took a succession of low-paid jobs. 毕业后他干了一连串报酬低微的工作。9. liberal a.1) ( arts) school or college subjects that give students a general education and teach them to think rather than those subjects

17、 that develop practical skills 文科The liberal arts are college or university subjects such as history, languages and literature but not sciences. 文科是学院或大学的如历史、语言和文学之类的学习科目，而不是理科学科。2) accepting different opinions and ways of behaving and tending to be sympathetic to other people 心胸宽广的；开明的She is known

18、to have liberal views on divorce. 人们知道她对离婚持有开明的观点。10. logical a. connecting ideas or reasons in a sensible way 合乎逻辑的；合理的It is logical to think that when people are deprived of their familiar surroundings they will feel disoriented. 脱离熟悉的环境时，人们会感到迷失方向，这样想是符合逻辑的。Only when each logical step has been ch

19、ecked by other mathematicians will the proof be accepted. 只有当其他数学家检查了每一个合乎逻辑的步骤后，这个证据才会被接受。11. bound a. ( to) sth. that is bound to happen will almost certainly happen 一定的；几乎肯定的The weather is bound to get better tomorrow. 明天的天气肯定更好。12. dominant a. more important, powerful, or successful than the oth

20、er people or things of the same type 有优势的；占统治地位的Unemployment rate will be the dominant issue at the next president election. 失业率将是下次总统选举中的主要话题。the dominant flavour in a dish 一份菜肴的主要香味 The castle stands in a dominant position above the town. 古堡耸立在市镇中一个高处.13. pillar n. C1) a very important part of a s

21、ystem of beliefs or ideas （信仰或思想）非常重要的部分Equality is one of the pillars of a stable society. 平等是一个稳定社会的支柱之一。IBMs three pillars of business wisdom are service, people, and perfection. IBM其商业智慧的三大支柱是服务、人员、和完美。2) a thick strong upright post that supports part of a building 柱子；支柱Eight massive stone pilla

22、rs supported the roof. 八根巨大的石柱支撑起房顶。14. vivid a. having or producing very clear and detailed images in the mind 清晰的；生动的He gave a very vivid and often shocking account of his time in prison. 他描述了他在监狱的往事，非常生动，也非常令人震惊。15. compel vt. force sb. to do sth. 强迫；迫使 compeltoAs a school boy, he was compelled t

23、o wear shorts even in winter. 当他还是一个在校的小男孩时，即使在冬天他也被迫穿短裤。compelling a. interesting or exciting enough to keep your attention completely 有强烈吸引力的；引人入胜的Steve Jobs life makes a compelling story. 史蒂夫乔布斯的一生是一个引人入胜的故事。16. promote vt. support or encourage sth. 支持；鼓励；提倡To acknowledge other cultures will prom

24、ote good will among people of different backgrounds. 承认别人的文化会促进不同背景的人之间的友好亲善。The organization works to promote friendship between nations. 该组织旨在促进各国之间的友谊。17. speculate v. consider or discuss why sth. has happened 思索；沉思；推测；猜测Archeologists speculate that people first reached the islands over 1,000 yea

25、rs ago. 考古学家们推测人类第一次到达这些岛屿是在一千多年前。Scientists can only speculate on life on other planets. 科学家只能推测生活在其他行星上的生命。18. mystery n. 不可思议的事物；无法解释的事物；谜No one had ever been able to explain the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle. 从来没有人能够解释百慕大三角之谜。19. destruction n. U damage that is so severe that sth. stops existi

26、ng or can never return to its normal state 毁灭；摧毁；破坏 construction n.The destruction caused by too many wars and the death of millions of people shook the foundation of Western idealism. 太多的战争所造成的破坏和数以百万计人的死亡动摇了西方理想主义的基础。the total destruction of a town by an earthquake 地震对一小镇之彻底毁坏。destructive a. causi

27、ng severe damage or harm 破坏性的；毁灭性的Lack of trust is very destructive in a relationship. 缺乏信任在人际关系中是很具有破坏性的。20. landscape n. C1) a photograph or painting showing an area of countryside or land 风景照；风景画Adams is well-known for his landscapes of Yosemite National Park. 亚当斯以他所作的优胜美地国家公园风景画而闻名。2) an area of

28、 land that is beautiful to look at or has a particular type of appearance （陆上的）风景，景致，景色The landscape is dotted with the tents of campers. 露营者的帐篷点缀了风景。21. fertile a.1) able to produce good ideas or results 富有成果的；富有想象力的A poet must have a fertile imagination. 诗人必须有丰富的想象力。2) able to produce good crops o

29、r plants （土地）肥沃的，富饶的Fertile soil helps Canada rank among the worlds leading wheat producers. 肥沃的土壤帮助加拿大跻身世界主要小麦生产国。22. elegant a.1) very intelligent yet simple （想法或计划）巧妙的，简洁的The document impressed me with its elegant simplicity. 该文件给我留下了精辟简明的深刻印象。Professor Freud was impressed with the elegant simpli

30、city of his students essay. 弗洛伊德教授对他学生的典雅古朴的短文留下了深刻的印象。2) beautiful, attractive and graceful 优美的；高雅的Patricia looked beautiful and elegant as always. 帕特里夏看上去总是那么美丽优雅。23. analysis n. 分析 analyze vt.I am interested in Clares analysis of the situation in China. 我对克莱尔对中国形势的分析很感兴趣。24. spectacular a. extrem

31、ely impressive 引人入胜的；非常壮观的There was a spectacular sunset last night. 昨晚的日落极其壮观。25. invest v. use your money with the aim of making a profit from it 投资He invested all our profits in gold shares. 他把我们所有的利润都投资进了黄金股。invest ones time in learning a new language 花时间学习一种新语言invest all ones efforts in passing

32、 an exam 为考试及格而全力以赴Shes invested a lot of emotional energy in that business. 她为那事费尽心血.26. insight n.1) the ability to notice and understand a lot about people or situations 洞察力；领悟力It was an interesting book, full of fascinating insight into human nature. 这是一本有趣的书，充满了对人性绝妙的洞察力。2) a sudden clear understanding of sth., esp. sth. complicated 顿悟；洞悉；见解Her research has given us some